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Tires and rims

Had my third flat tire on my '05 FEH Tuesday and used my full size spare for the second time. Didn't know there was a metal recycle plant a block off my main commute till I went around a truck loaded down waiting in line to drive into this fenced area. All three flats happen within a few blocks of this recycle plant, so I know now I need to change my route. As I past the truck, I heard a sound like I ran over something. With 50psi in the tire to start with, I made it three miles till the tire was about to ride on the rim. Made it to a shade tree in the Palm Beach Mall parking lot where I change the tire.

The Eco-Plus tire had a 1" cut on the outside, so the tire was destroyed. Went to the dealership and talked to the parts man about getting the new LRR Michelin Latitude Tour tires that are coming on the '09 Escapes. Tim the parts manager knows me from our experience getting the Eco-Plus tires and spare FEH rim in the past. The new tires can't be ordered from Michelin because they don't list a 235/70R/16 size tire for the 16" Escape rims in the Latitude Tour, and Michelin doesn't list those tires as LRR anyway. It seems Tim needs my '09 Vin # to even get any information from Ford on price and how to order them from Michelin. This was what happen to me with the first Eco-Plus tire with sidewall damage that I needed replacing 4 years ago. My auto Broker expects a Vin # next week on my '09 order and Tim thinks it will be needed to get the information he needs to order them. I'll keep the tread up to date on what I find out.

This means my donut had to come out of storage for a spare again. While I had the the full size flat spare and the donut sitting side by side, I thought I'd get some answers posters have asked in the past. I weighed both the donut tire and rim and the worn FEH tire and rim to see what the weight difference was. The steel rim of the donut must be much heavier than the stock FEH rim. The donut tire is much smaller without much thread, so it's much lighter than the large Eco-Plus tire. The full size FEH tire and rim was 45 pounds and the donut spare was 33 pounds. So a full size spare only added ~12 pounds. The full size flat spare was worn down about half, but the newer tires are better off rolling on the street and I always keep the worn tire as the spare anyway.

Most likely I will buy a new Limited FEH polished rim and special Michelin Latitude Tour tire for the '09 as a spare. I have been very pleased with changing a flat with a stock set-up where handling and performance is maintained. I drove two weeks and 500 miles on the unsafe ugly donut till a Eco-Plus tire could be had with the first flat.

Michelin Latitude Tour tire

Hi Billy
The Michelin

Hi Billy

The Michelin Latitude Tour listed on the Michelin site is not the special LRR Michelin Latitude Tour tire Ford had Michelin build for the '09 Escape. It may have a 41psi MAX sidewall PSI, but I can't confirm that yet till I see the tire. It's funny, the dealer parts manager owns an '02 Escape and can't wait to order and see what these tires look like. Both he and I prefer Michelin tires.

Now I see where you got the

That may be the recommend tire pressure Ford put on the door or something. I thought you meant 41psi was the MAX sidewall pressure listed by Michelin. I look at this information as a possible good chance the Max sidewall may be ~50psi on these tires. The same 9psi under that Ford recommends (35psi) on the ECO-Plus FEH tires which have a 44psi MAX sidewall pressure.

My local dealer Parts

My local dealer Parts Manager and I are now friends and has been checking for the new Michelins and a spare matching rim that comes on the '09 FEH Limited. He ordered 10 Michelins for stock and can get me the bright alum rim at wholesale for $228.52. The tires retail for $176.95 each, but he will let me have them for $159.00. The spare rim for my '05 FEH was more than a $100 over this rim and it's painted.

Those Michelin Latitude Tour tires were listed on the Web (not our size) for about $300, so this is music to my ears.

I'm going to replace 2 of my tires on my '05 because of a flat and the worst tire I have, and put the new Michelins on the front. I should see a difference in the Eco-Plus and I'll post what I find out.

I'm going to take the Parts Manager for a ride in the new '09 because he ask me to bring it by when I get it. With 3 Fords in my driveway I want to keep a good relationship with my new wholesale friend.

I just got back from

I just got back from Goodyear who mounted the 2 Michelin Latitude Tours on the front of my '05 FEH. I brought a scale to weigh the '05 FEH Rim, so now we can compare the weights. The stock FEH Rim is 2.2 pounds lighter than my new '09 FEHL Rim which is 20.4 pounds. The standard FEH Rim weighs 18.2 pounds. If you add the new Eco Plus at 31 pounds, the total weigh is 49.2 pounds. If you replace the Eco Plus tires with the new Michelins, the standard FEH Rim and Michelin tire would weigh 47.6 pounds each. WoW! This is what my new tires and Rims weigh on the front of my '05 FEH now.

The FEHL Rim and Michelin Latitude Tour tires weighed 49.8 pounds, which is .6 pounds more than the stock FEH rim and the Eco Plus. The folks that got the '09 FEH non Limited models have the 47.6 pound tire and Rim set-up.